TREATMENT OF ACUTE APPENDICITIS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS IN TIMES OF COVID-19

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.1593802302109

• Palavras-chave: Acute appendicitis; COVID-19; Pediatrics; Diagnosis; Treatment.

• Keywords: Acute appendicitis; COVID-19; Pediatrics; Diagnosis; Treatment.

• Abstract:

  Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, generating true chaos in the global health system which, to date, continues to receive new cases from new variants of the virus. However, conditions such as Acute Appendicitis (AA) have been neglected due to people's fear of exposing themselves to contamination, making it more serious and difficult to treat. Objective: To present the treatment for AA in pediatric patients. Methods: The study is a review of existing literature by publications indexed in electronic databases: SciELO, Lilacs, Pubmed and Google Scholar, in the period between 2020 and 2021, in Portuguese, English and Spanish, available in full text and online. Results: The treatment considered the gold standard for AA is appendectomy (open or laparoscopic) associated with antibiotic therapy after appendix resection, however, the choice of surgical method must consider both the patient's characteristics and the surgeon's experience. evaluating intraoperative aspects and postoperative complications. Conclusion: The early diagnosis of AA in pediatric patients is essential for its correct management and to reduce its morbidity and mortality, and it is crucial that the search for health services is immediate, in order to obtain a good prognosis and promote a better quality of life for the child.